IO Interactive, hot off the heels of its terrificHitman: World of Assassinationtrilogy, is preparing to release007 First Light, a proper, original James Bond game. Anyone who has played the modernHitmangames will likely agree that IO Interactive has done more than enough to prove its worthiness of theJames BondIP, but even so, the developer is sticking its neck out in some ways; unlike theWorld of Assassinationgames,007 First Lightdoesn’t have an obvious precedent to follow.
But some might argue that it does, especially after seeingFirst Light’s reveal trailer. This game will focus on a younger, less experienced Bond, who is decidedly fresh-faced and boyish-looking, with a charm that is less rugged and gentlemanly than that of his film counterparts. In truth, this Bond seems an awful lot like Nathan Drake, the most recognizable and iconic swashbuckler in gaming media. This resemblance, and the general premise of aJames Bondstory, which is usually about trotting the globe and pulling off crazy heists, might lead some to believe thatFirst Lightwill share some DNA withUncharted. But while taking some notes from Naughty Dog’s seminal adventure series wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, audiences should pump the brakes before assuming thatFirst Lightwill be a Bond-painted version ofUncharted.
007 First Light Won’t Be a Dyed-in-the-Wool Action-Shooter Like Uncharted
007 First Light Players Won’t Be ‘Always Shooting’
“There are great shootouts in the [James Bond] movies – but, if you think about it, it’s not that many, right?” That’s what IO Interactive co-owner andFirst Lightcreative director Christian Elverdam told The Guardian when discussing the upcoming game, expressing the developer’s goal of creating a balancedJames Bond story. A big part of this, according to Elverdam, is to present a campaign that isn’t all about shootouts or massive brawls, but a number of other, appropriately suave and nuanced gameplay opportunities.
In reality,007 First Lightwill almost definitely have some shooting-and-punching-focused setpieces, but these will surely be counterbalanced by slower or more methodical sections. For instance, one can assume that there will be several puzzle and stealth levels in the game, as quick thinking and covert operations are important parts ofJames Bond’s toolkit—they are arguably more important to the character than his combat prowess. Other key Bond characteristics, like driving fancy cars and charming those around him, can be expected to find their way into the game as well. The point here isn’t that shooting is bad, or won’t be inFirst Light, but that the game probably won’t focus too much on such high action. This is a good thing.
007 First Light Should Be More Like Hitman and Less Like Uncharted
Of course, one can only hope that007 First Lightwill be a chance for IO Interactive to experiment and break away from theHitmanfundamentals, but the developer shouldn’t divorced them entirely. The stealth sandboxes of the mostrecentHitmangamesin particular feel perfectly suited to a Bond story, and the cool competence of Agent 47 ought to translate toFirst Light’s rendition of 007 as well.
Since007 First Lightis introducing a new version of James Bond, he could theoretically be more like Agent 47 than, say, Daniel Craig’s rendition of the character.
Crucially, the high-levelstrengths of theHitmanfranchiseare what ought to translate toFirst Light, and this is something that IO Interactive seemingly agrees with. In that same conversation with The Guardian, Elverdam noted that much of theWorld of Assassinationtrilogy “feels like spycraft already,” and that that formula plus “some leaps” is what will form the backbone of007 First Light.
